DA forces Mpumalanga government to commit to fixing lifts at Standerton Hospital

Issued by Jane Sithole, MPL – Spokesperson on Health
02 Sep 2021 in Press Releases

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has forced the Mpumalanga provincial government to make a commitment that they will fix lifts at the Standerton Hospital which have not been working for almost a year now, forcing healthcare workers to carry critically ill patients up and down the stairs. 

 

During a Legislature sitting on 25 March this year, the House adopted a DA Motion without Notice calling for both the Department of Health and Public Works to replace or fix the lifts at the Standerton Hospital which have not been working for over four months. 

 

After our motion was adopted, the DA conducted an oversight at the hospital and we were happy to find a contractor there who seemed to be fixing the lifts. But last week, when the DA conducted another oversight at the hospital, we were shocked to learn that the contractor abandoned the work and has not been on site for weeks, and healthcare workers continue to carry critically ill patients and heavily pregnant women up and down the stairs as the lifts are still not working. 

 

In a Provincial Legislature Hybrid Sitting this week, the DA raised a Member Statement reminding the ANC-led government of the commitment they made in March to go to the hospital and fix the lifts. 

 

The DA also reminded government of the plight and challenges faced by healthcare workers as they continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic. It is not fair for them to then also be subjected to carrying patients up and down flights of stairs, simply because government is failing to fix lifts. 

 

In his response to the DA, the Leader of Government Business in Mpumalanga, MEC Vusi Shongwe, made a commitment that he will personally bring together Health MEC, Sasekani Manzini, and Public Works MEC, Mohita Lachminarain, to visit the hospital and see first-hand what is happening there with the contractor and the lifts. He committed that the problem will be solved soon. 

 

The DA is pleased that MEC Shongwe made a personal commitment to bring government to fix the lifts. The DA will monitor the situation very closely and hold them accountable should they dare fail to fix the problem.